Volvo Car Corporation reduced CO2 emissions most in Europe

The Volvo Car Corporation is in the lead among European carmakers when it comes to reducing carbon dioxide emissions. This is shown in the sixth annual analysis conducted by T&E, the European Federation for Transport and Environment.

"We are delighted and very proud of this result. We are following our ambitious plan which puts the spotlight on cutting carbon dioxide emissions," says Stefan Jacoby, President and CEO of the Volvo Car Corporation.

Europe's eight largest carmakers cut their CO2 emissions by an average of 2 to 6 percent in 2010. The Volvo Car Corporation is the exception that stands out, with a CO2 reduction of no less than 9 percent. This is the result of a concerted environmental focus under the "DRIVe towards zero" banner. Sales of fuel-efficient diesel engines from the DRIVe range have been highly successful and are one of the explanations behind the major reduction in carbon dioxide emissions. Examples of popular models are the V50 DRIVe with emissions of 99 gram/km and the V70 DRIVe with 119 gram/km. The Volvo Car Corporation's CO2 strategy also includes electrified cars with varying degrees of hybridisation, even more efficient diesel and petrol engines, and alternative fuels.

"The aim is to come down to an average of 95 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometre across our total car sales in 2020. In theory that is entirely feasible, but a lot depends on developments in legislation, incentives, energy availability and of course customer demand. In addition, the EU intends to introduce a new method for calculating carbon dioxide, and this too will impact our plan," says Peter Mertens, Senior Vice President Research and Development at the Volvo Car Corporation.

The analysis by the European Federation for Transport and Environment shows how well European car manufacturers have succeeded in cutting CO2 emissions and fuel consumption in new cars. All told, carbon dioxide emissions from new cars sold in the EU dropped by 3.7 percent in 2010, and today the average figure for new cars sold in Europe is 140 grams per kilometre.